Resistance control valve for fuel injection system



C March 4, 1958 E. M. @REER ET AL RESISTANCE CONTROL VALVE FOR FUELINJECTION SYSTEM Filed June 22`. 1955 INVENTOR EDWARD M. GREERRESISTANCE CNTRL VALVE FOR FUEL [NJECTN SYSTEM Edward M. Greer, GreatNeck, and Pellegrino Edward Napolitano, Brooklyn, N. Y., assignors toGreer Hydraulics, lne., Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication .lune 22, 1953, Serial No. 363,342 4 Claims. (Cl. 158-36)This invention relates to the art Yof valves, more particularly of theresistance controlled type.

As conducive to an understanding of the invention, in one illustrativeapplication thereof, it is noted that certain types of operating unitssuch as engines, require for starting purposes an initial charge of arelatively large quantity of fuel and thereafter a continuous supply ofa smaller quantity of fuel: Where the initial fuel charge is supplied bymeans of the injection of gas under pressure into the gas chamber of ahuid transfer unit such as a pressure accumulator whose fuel or liquidchamber is precharged with such fuel, in the event that fuel should owfrom the liquid chamber into the gas chamber and through the system,into the source of gas under pressure, such fuel may explode withresultant destruction of the system and possible injury to personnel anddamage to property.

it is accordingly among the objects of the invention to provide a systemof the above type which will permit a spurt of gas under pressure toeffect movement of the partition of a duid transfer unit such as apressure accumulator pre-charged with a tiuid to deliver a relativelylarge quantity of such fluid to an operating unit, and upon leakage ofsuch uid past the partition, substantially immediately, without need forany manual operation, will cut off communication between the source ofgas under pressure and such accumulator, which system has but fewrelatively simple parts which are not likely to become deranged evenwith long repeated use and which may readily be manufactured at lowcost.

Another object is to provide a resistance controlled valve which uponapplication to the resistance unit thereof of a predetermined uid, suchas a liquid, or vapor of such liquid, will effect rapid and substantialincrease of the resistance of such unit for actuation of the valvecontrolled thereby.

According to the invention from its broader aspect, the system comprisesa reservoir from which a predetermined fluid such as liquid is suppliedto an operating unit by means of a suitable pump. The system alsoincludes a pressure accumulator of the type having a liquid chamber intowhich such liquid is also forced by the pump and a gas chamber with amovable partition between such chambers. 'Ihe gas chamber of theaccumulator is connected through a control chamber to a source of gasunder pressure-and a solenoid operated valve is interposed between suchsource and the control chamber, said valve being open during normaloperation of the system. Positioned in the control chamber is aresistance unit which desirably comprises a rod of nou-conductingmaterial having a coating of conductive particles thereon, the ends ofsaid rod being connected through suitable circuits to the solenoidoperated valve, a source of current being included in such circuit toretain the valve open as long as the overall resistance of theconductive particles remains at a predetermined value. The resistanceunit is so designed that in the presence of vapors of such predeterminedliquid or if it is covered by such liquid, its resistance States arentice 2 will immediately increase a substantial amount to reduce thecurrent owing through the coil of the solenoid valve to a value belowthat suicient to retain the valve open.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one or more of variouspossible embodiments of the several features of the invention, thesingle ligure shows one illustrative embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the illustrative embodiment of the invention shown inthe drawings, the system desirably comprises a reservoir 11 for apredetermined liquid which may be a fuel such as kerosene for example.The reservoir 11 is connected by line 12 to the inlet of a fuel pump 13desirably driven by an electric motor 14 connected to a source of power,such as a battery 15, through a normally open switch 16, and designed inthe illustrative embodiment herein shown to deliver fuel under apressure of 40 to 50 P. S. I. The outlet of pump 13 is connected throughline 17 and check valve 18 to junction 19, the valve 18 permitting ow offuel in direction only from such outlet.

The junction 19 is desirably connected by feed line 21, through solenoidoperated valve 22, which has a coil 23 connected through switch 24 to abattery 25, to the operative unit, illustratively an engine 26 to besupplied with fuel. ln addition, the junction 19 is connected by v line27 to the liquid supply port 28 of a fluid transfer unit such as apressure accumulator 29 of conventional type such as that put out byGreer Hydraulics, Inc., of Brooklyn, New York.

- The accumulator 29 is of the type which desirably comprises acontainer 31 having a movable partition, preferably a bladder 32 thereinwhich has a port connected to the gas supply port 33 of the accumulatorfor charging of such bladder. The port 33 is connected by line 34 to ajunction 35 which in turn is connected by line 36 through valve 37 tothe atmosphere. The junction 35 is also connected by line 38 to the port39 of a control chamber 41 which desirably has a second port 42 at alevel above that of port 39. The port 42 is connected by line 43 throughsolenoid operated valve 44, and line 4S to the outlet of a gas pump 46,driven by an electric motor 47. The motor is supplied with power as froma battery 48 through the normally open contacts 49, 51 of a time delayrelay 52 connected through push button switch 53 to battery 54.

Positioned in control chamber 41 adjacent its floor 54 is a unit 55which illustratively comprises a rod 56 of non-conducting material suchas Wood which desirably has a granular conductive coating 57 thereon,say of sucrose carbon particles, and functions as a resistor. A metalcap 58 at each end of the rod 56 is contacted by the adjacent particlesand has a lead 59 connected thereto and extending through the wall ofthe control chamber 41. One of the conducting caps 58 is connected toone side of a source of current, illustratively a battery 61, and theother cap is connected through the coil 62 of solenoid operated valve 44and switch 63 to the other side of the battery 61.

In the operation of the system shown in the drawing, the valve 37 isfirst opened to vent the related portion of the system to theatmosphere. The switch 63 is closed to complete a circuit from battery61 through resistance unit 55 and the coil 62 of valve 44. The effectiveresistance of unit 55 is such that under normal conditions of operationwhen only air is present in control chamber 41, suiiicient current willpass through unit 55 to energize coil 62, thereby opening valve 44. Themotor 14 is then energized by the closing of switchl to actuate pump 13to force fuel from reservoir 11 through check valve 18 and junction 19into the accumulator 29 to charge the latter, the normally closed valve22 preventing llow of fuel into the engine 26.

Ybladder 32 momentarily toinflate the latter; VVa Vspurt of aVvrelatively largequantitygof fuelbeforced mineemgfheabf How initie-weegynsfifja aawgima are 'La mmmawr 29, the bladder, sz

will be compressed end s'ubs'tntiall'y allofthegas therein Vwill beforced through'line 34,;junction 35, Vline 36 and Y ogen'valveto the atn1c sphere. Y

valve 371s elosedjandnre switehfzzi'isacmtedto ener,

from reservoir 1 1i may ovv to `the fenginel- Asiagreaterquantityoffuelisneeded'vyhen the 'engine Y is initially startedA than issuppliedbygpump 13, atthis Vvtimegv'a relativelylargegiuantity o f fuel maybeforced Y into theY engine by pres sing.push button s witclil53. As aplete a Vcircuit fronrbattery 48ammotor l-todrivefthe gaspump 45, thelength of time the punipoperatesbeing Y determined by thesetting' ftnjedelay relayf S Y sequently,gasfunderpressurgwillfilow through ne 45,

Con-

439,.V line 38, junction 35,1line 351, througl1. pojrt into'the from theaccumulator 'port 28, through junction linev 2, open valve-22 into theengine f2.6; As theffpnnap' is continuously operated, fuel willthereupon orvsg hom tbnthereoff i the `i'eservoiillzintg Vthe engine y26 for continue opera;

deliver aY second Ghargepffgasnm der? presvsu or duringnormal operationofthengineggsuchfuel would How fr orn theaccumulatorthroughf'linesd':andfS into control chamber 41.}As=the f uelstarts -tofllow throughk the lines 34 and-:33; the -atrnoSpheiejn'l the'line Va-nclheiceV in the-:chamber will begcontanlinated withsuchrfeljand the vapor willaflow around the, resistance'unitlSSL-seeping between theparticles onrod-'SGLAS a-i'esultoff'tliezuse of suchsucrose carbonpart'iclesftlie vapor. seepingftlere-Y -f betweenlwoul'drincrease theoverllresistancezof the ere- Y Vsistanceunit almostgimmediately-, thereby reducingthe currentfowingtheretlirellghiand-troughethe coil 62 of Y AlthoughY in t he-;systemAabovef'describel;sucrose,cars

lion particles-havefbeenfusedfinfconjunctic vvitlrikero-I scope offtheto utilize othertypes"ofcondiicting 'particleshaving a givenfverallresistance inv the-pisenc'e` of one uidpandadierent overallresistancerinf thezfp'res t'isfalso withinv'scope-"oftljezinventionitoutilie` accumulatore` of? type other:than'.- those "with afbladder,

Y' i., e.; V'a'.piston-typeaccumulator'forexan'iplegsandina'nse thesystem in'conju'nction with operating units' other; than; engines; i.e., *such ashydrauliciriotzis;`

description i 5' sene, it; isV ofcourse:tof'be''understood'that'itisnazithinttheV v Y Saiagasgsqpmyi f 1panying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative and not' in alimiting sense. f Having thus described our invention, rwhat* We'claimlas new and ydesire'to secure by Letters Patent'ofthe United YVStatesis:Y 1. A system ofthe character described comprising a rservoirfor'liquid, a1 pump, alineconuecting theres-Y ervoiito said"`pump,a`uidtransferfunit havinga liquid supply port, a gasvsipplyportandamovablepartition inj f `tervenrg'letweengsai'zlports, means connecting thefoutp11 tA of saidpunnp tosaidlliquid supply portfto: charge. saidVlluidtr'ansfereuhtL-With liquidialiquid' outletfline in comikVrnunication Withrsaid liquid supplyport, acontrol chamber having `tvvgports, nieansproviding icorri munication .between one of said ports andsaid gas supplyportgia'ventg Y line connected'tofsaidlastfnarnedcommunicating means,YY a valve in said vent line, means toconnect Vasourceof'ga's ntrol chamber,

Vnimeer@ partition is a' tiefgrmsue builderv c'einreiten:fit--LV Iann11m whichV given overall resistance; in

d contactsf i ran;

